Defending champs India beat arch rivals Pakistan to win their sixth Women's Asia Cup title

Women in Blue once again continued to roar loud in the T20 Asia Cup this year, as they defended their title for the sixth time in as many tournaments (first four Asia Cup tournaments were a 50-overs a side affair). India vs Pakistan on a Sunday afternoon is like a treat to all the cricket lovers across the country.

Winning all the league games, India entered the finals with oodles of confidence to take on Pakistan. Harmanpreet Kaur decided to bat first, early in the day, and thanks to the brilliant batting of Mithali Raj (73 not out off 65 balls), Kaur was not disappointed with her decision. Raj, who turned 34, just yesterday, struck her 10th half century, and led from the front to ensure that her team got to a respectable total. Mithali was aggressive right from the word go, hitting seven boundaries and a maximum in her well-constructed innings. Slow left arm bowler Anam Amin was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, picking up 2-24 in her four overs.

Defending 122 in a final can be slightly tricky, however Harmanpreet Kaur did a fantastic job in managing her troops. It was again the spinning tale narrated by Ekta Bisht, Anuja Patil and Preeti Bose that summed up India's win in the all-important final. Bisht shinned with the ball, accounting for 2-22 in her four overs and received good support from Patil (1-18) and Bose (1-18). It was a nail biting finish as the match went down the wire, with Pakistan felt wanting of 17 runs. Skipper Bismah Maroof top scored with 25 runs.

Mithali Raj (220 runs in 4 innings at an average of 110), who also won the Man of the Match award, finished off as the highest run scorer and with 12 wickets in 6 matches, right arm off-break bowler Sana Mir of Pakistan was the highest wicket-taker.

Indomitable India beats Nepal to enter the Women’s T20 Asia Cup Final

The young and new looking Indian team led by the dashing all-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur, reached the final of T20 Asia Cup by beating Nepal comprehensively on Friday.The Women in Blue have remained invincible in the tournament winning five out of five matches.

India played its final match of the league against the minnows Nepal and continued its winning streak by clinically outperforming the not so extra-ordinary Nepal team. Riding on Shikha Pandey’s (39 not out off 32 balls) heroics, India was able to post a decent total of 120-5 at the end of 20 overs.  In the second innings, Nepal was left clueless as its batting line-up collapsed like a pack of card for a paltry 21. Poonam Yadav was the pick of the bowlers picking up 3-9 and was well-complimented by Anuja Patil and Meghana, both of them, grabbing two wickets each.

Not only as a team, but also at the individual level, India has had a great run at the T20 Asia Cup so far. Mithali Raj is the leading run-getter (147 runs with an average of 73.5) and Ekta Bisht (4 matches and 8 wickets) is sitting comfortably at the top of the highest wicket-taker table.

Brief Scores: India Women 120-5 in 20 overs (S Pandey 39*, V Vanitha 21; R Belbashi 2-21) beat Nepal Women 21-10 in 16.3 overs (P Yadav 3-9, A Patil2-3, S Meghana 2-3) by 99 runs

India Women emerge victorious against Sri Lanka; remain invincible in the T20 Asia Cup

Having won their first three encounters of this T20 Asia Cup, Women in Blue, with oodles of confidence, took on their neighbours of south; Sri Lanka, on Thursday, at Bangkok, Thailand. Harmanpreet Kaur, skipper of the Indian team, won the toss and elected to bat first.  The opening pair of Raj and Mandhana provided a solid start to the team and a small cameo towards the end by Veda Krishnamurthy (21 runs off 23 balls) helped India to post a respectable 121-4 in 20 overs.

It was once again the spin magic of Ekta Bisht and Preeti Bose that helped the Kaur-led team to restrict Sri Lanka to 69-9, winning the match comprehensively by 52 runs. Bisht picked up 3-8 and Bose accounted for 3-14 in their full quota of four overs. India is right at the top of the table with four out of four wins. India will play Nepal in the last and final match of T20 Asia Cup on Friday at Bangkok, Thailand.

Mithali Raj was adjudged as the Man of the Match for her batting brilliance right at the top.

Brief Scores: India Women 121-4 in 20 overs (M Raj 62, S Mandhana 21, V Krishnamurthy 21) beat Sri Lanka Women 69-9 in 20 overs (D Manodara 20; E Bisht 3-8, P Bose 3-14) by 52 runs

India Women thrash Pakistan by five wickets in Asia Cup T20 match

Winning the toss and electing to field first, Women in Blue restricted the arch rivals Pakistan to 97-7 in 20 overs on Tuesday in the Asia Cup T20 match that was played at Bangkok, Thailand. The Indian spin trio of Ekta Bisht, Anuja Patil and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur laid the spin web to entangle Pakistan. Apart from the opening bat, Ayesha Zafar (28) and middle order bat Nain Abidi (37 n.o), rest of the Pakistani batting line-up looked listless.

Though chasing a humble 98 did not seem to be a daunting task, the match went all the way till the last over, with India just finishing the game in 19.2 overs. Veteran Mithali Raj provided a solid start to her team by making a patient 36 off 57 balls. Sadia Yousuf and Nida Dar chipped in couple of wickets apiece. A middle order collapse did not affect India’s chances in the game, as the captain, leading from the front, finished off the game in style with a quickfire 26. India won the match by five wickets and Harmanpreet Kaur was awarded the Man of the Match prize for her scintillating all-round performance.

Brief Scores: Pakistan Women 97-7 in 20 overs (N Abidi 37*, A Zafar 28, E Bisht 3-20) lost to Indian Women 98-5 in 19.2 overs (M Raj 36, H Kaur 26*, S Yousuf 2-27, N Dar 2-11) by five wickets

Women in Blue beat the West Indies in a thriller to seal the ODI series 3-0

Riding on the dashing middle order batswoman Veda Krishnamurthy’s heroics, team India managed to put up a respectable total of 199-6 on board against the West Indies in the third ODI that was played on Wednesday at Mulapadu, Andhra Pradesh.

Having already sealed the ODI series, the confidence in the Indian dressing room was at all time high and a clean sweep is what Mithali Raj and co were eyeing for. Though the home team did not get off to the best of starts with the Maharashtra batswoman Smriti Mandhana falling cheaply for 5, Deepti Sharma and the middle order played well to steady the sinking ship. Veda Krishnamurthy dominated the Caribbean bowling attack with her clean hitting.  Devika Vaidya joined the part with an unbeaten knock of 32.

The match went down the wire, with both the teams looking evenly poised to win the game. It was a close finish as the visitors fell short of just 15 runs. It was again the spin web of Rajeshwari Gayakwad that entangled the West Indian batting line up as she finished with economical figures of 4-21. Matthews and Knight played some good knocks, however failed to take their team home.

After the ODI series, both the teams are all set to play the T20 matches, starting 18^th November. It will be interesting to see how the Indian team under the aegis of young Harmanpreet Kaur, takes on the defending T20 champions West Indies.  

India Women take an unassailable lead of 2-0 against West Indies

The T20 champs descended to the Indian shores to play a three-match ODI series starting 10^th November at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

The Indian Women registered a clinical victory in the first ODI, winning the match comfortably by six wickets. The spin duo of Ekta Bisht and Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked up seven wickets between themselves. Skipper Mithali Raj led from the front scoring a patient 91-ball 46-run knock and was complimented well with the dashing middle order bat Veda Krishnamurthy who made an unbeaten 52 off 70 balls. Earlier in the day, the Carribeans were bundled out for a humble 131 in 42.4 overs, with the wicket-keeper batswoman Merissa Aguilleira top scoring with 42 runs.

The Women in Blue were not complacent after the easy win in the first match and did not take the opposition lightly. Chasing a decent target of 154 runs, captain Mithali Raj was again among the runs, top scoring with 45 off just 51 balls helping her team take an unassailable lead of 2-0 against the visitors. Opening bat Smriti Mandhana provided a dream start to the chase making 44 off 62 balls. The south paw then partnered well with all-rounder Deepti Sharma (32 runs off 63 balls). Earlier in the day, the powerful batswoman from Barbados, Deandra Dottin played a powered packed innings of 63 runs, taking her team to a decent total.       

The last and the final game of the three-match ODI series will be played on 16^th November at Mulapadu, Andhra Pradesh.

Source: PTI

Succession planning starts in Indian women’s cricket team; Harmanpreet Kaur replaces Mithali Raj as the T20 skipper

When the talks of poor succession planning are doing the rounds in the corporate world, courtesy the Tata’s, the women’s cricket in India has quietly made the news by announcing the young and talented all-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur as the T20 captain replacing the veteran Mithali Raj, who will still be a part of the T20 squad.

Kaur has been acting as a deputy to Raj for quite sometime now and there cannot be a perfect time than this to hand over the T20 reins to this refreshing talent. With the West Indies tour of India and Asia Cup to be played in Thailand, November is a busy month for the women in blue.

A dismal performance in the T20 World Cup that was played in India earlier this year, should not let them down, instead, this can be labelled as a stepping stone. It is time for the young guns like Smriti Mandhana, Veda Krishnamurthy and Poonam Yadav to step up and fill the big shoes of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, who have been few of the greatest servers of Indian women’s cricket.

Like what happened in 2007 with the men’s team at the inaugural T20 under the guidance of the then 26 year old MS Dhoni, let’s hope that Harmanpreet Kaur is also able to infuse some energy in her team and aim for the coveted T20 World Cup in 2018.    

Harmanpreet Kaur likely to become the first Indian to play Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League

When the talks of having women’s IPL are doing the rounds, this small town girl from Moga, Punjab is likely to become the first Indian to play in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) which was started just last year. This Australian league has already garnered tremendous attention and many international cricketers are willing to play this league. Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain of the Indian women’s cricket team is one of the leading favourite overseas players, who is believed to make the cut to play in the WBBL this year.

The young and aggressive middle order batswoman has already impressed many with her free flowing batting and electrifying fielding. Add to this her more than handy bowling skills and Harmanpreet is a complete package that can squeeze in any T20 outfit. She has a solid batting technique and can take on any bowler in the world. Kaur is equally poised on the back foot and can come dancing down the track at her own will and wish.

The winners of the inaugural WBBL; Sydney Thunder and the runners-up Sydney Sixers have marked Kaur as an interesting choice for this season. Early this year, when India toured Australia for a three match T20 series and a three match ODI series, the 27-year old all-rounder played a pivotal role in India’s success in the T20. India won the series 2-1, thanks to Harmanpreet’s special services. In the first T20 itself, the Indian vice-captain cruised to a blistering 46 off 31 balls and helped her team chase down a record total (from India’s standpoint) of 141 runs. Her knock immediately caught the eyes of many and now she is in the reckoning of being the first Indian to play the Australian league.

If Harmanpreet has the potential and the essential caliber to play the overseas league, you cannot keep some of the other dashing players like Veda Krishnamurthy and Smriti Mandhana too far from playing these tournaments. Sharing the dressing room with some of the best international players, rubbing shoulders with them and discussing match strategies will serve as a great learning exercise to the Indian eves.

On June 1, when the BCCI led by the newly appointed President Mr. Anurag Thakur decided to allow the Indian women cricketers to play the foreign leagues like Australia’s WBBL and England’s WSL (Women’s Super League), the women’s cricket fans in India and across the globe could sense that this was the beginning of something big. “I have set a target for the women's team that by 2020 they should be No 1 in the world”, declared Thakur. These words were like music to the ears to all the well-wishers of women’s cricket in India.

The Indian’s women cricket is definitely traversing the path of development and is all set to carve a beautiful picture in the years to come.

 

 www.news18.com

A big boost for women’s cricket in India; India eves can now play foreign leagues like WBBL and Kia Super League

The only trending topic for the cricket lovers in this cricket crazy nation for the last two months was the over-hyped but one of the most loved cricket tournaments; Indian Premiere League. When many hearts were broken when the run machine Virat Kohli’s RCB failed to win its first ever IPL trophy, soon, on the flip side, we had some good news coming in for the women cricketers in India. Mr.Anurag Thakur, who was recently promoted to become the President of the BCCI has said, “I have set a target for the women's team that by 2020 they should be No 1 in the world”.

These words of wisdom are cherished not only by the ardent followers of women’s cricket but also by the women cricketers themselves. What this means is that the Indian eves will now be permitted to play overseas T20 leagues like Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia, which was started just last year as well as England’s Kia Super League, which will kick start this English summer in July. The Indian ladies just missed the bus to play for the Kia Super League as the foreign players to play this league have been already finalized.

With the likes of veteran players like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami still making news in the international cricket, this reform comes as a great sigh of relief, for them to showcase their talent in foreign leagues. Young guns like Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Veda Krishnamurthy and Anuja Patil, who had a far better World Cup early this year than their teammates will be eyeing this opportunity as well.

Let’s us hope that this change indeed changes the way women’s cricket is perceived in India.  

source:www.espncricinfo.com

Women in Blue did not qualify for the semi-final; but win many hearts

Not once, not twice, but thrice did the Women in Blue could not hold on to their nerves in the Group Stage of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2016. After starting off with a comprehensive victory against Bangladesh, the Indian fans across the globe were positive and hoped that the women’s team would certainly make the cut for the knock-outs. Arch rivals Pakistan got the better off India, courtesy their 2-run win as per the D/L method in the rain-interrupted game. Mithali Raj & co. were fighting hard but perhaps not hard enough because everytime they inched closer to the victory, they let loose and helped the opposition get the better of them. At Dharamshala, the hosts had almost pocketed a stunning win against England while defending a humble 91 runs, but lost the match in the final over by two wickets.

It was a do-or-die contest at Mohali when the Indian team locked horns agaist West Indies. The Group was open as none of the teams had qualified for the knock-outs. Was it the pressure or was it the nerves that put the India eves in a shell? Only our girls can answer this. Chasing 115 runs in a big match could get tricky sometimes and that is what exactly happened on Sunday. The bowlers Harmanpreet Kaur (4-23 in 3 overs) and Anuja Patil (3-16 in 4 overs) did a commendable job in restricting the Carribeans to 114 even after the magnificent knocks from Deandra Dottin (45 runs off 40 balls) and skipper Stafanie Taylor (47 runs off 45 balls). Mind you, the girls were capable of chasing this target, as they had chased a record 141 against Aussies in their own backyard a couple of months back.

The otherwise powerful stroke-maker Harmanpreet Kaur (7 runs off 20 balls) looked out of sorts, so did India’s most dependable batswoman and skipper Mithali Raj who was out for a duck. Though Veda Krishnamurthy (18 runs off 16 balls) came out all guns blazing, she failed to score big on the big day. The two Maharashtra girls Anuja Patil (26 runs off 27 balls) and Smriti Mandhana (22 runs off 27 balls) tried to consolidate the innings, but unfortunately Mandhana played one on to her stumps to make her way back to the dug out. Anuja then joined hands with one of the most veteran players in the team Jhulan Goswami (25 runs off 19 balls) but it was too late in the day. Goswami muscled a few shots but was unfortunately run out.

India lost the match by merely 3 runs. A decent fielding unit otherwise, there was a misfield in the final over which went for a boundary. Had it been saved, who knows, the Women in Blue would be out there on Thursday to play their semi-final against New Zealand. 

Source: Getty Images

India eves lose against England in a thriller; chances of qualifying for the knock-outs bleak

The fans at Dharamshala witnessed a thrilling contest when the hosts took on England eves on Tuesday in a must-win game. Winning the toss and electing to field first Charlotte Edwards and co. did a wonderful job in restricting the hosts to 90-8 in 20 overs. Apart from Harmanpreet Kaur (26 runs off 25 balls), the other Indian batswomen looked listless as they failed to pick up gaps and hit the odd boundaries. Heather Knight was the pick of the bowlers, finishing off with envious figures of 3-15 in four overs. She caught the hosts in her spin web, not allowing the home team to score off her bowling.

After the batting debacle in the first innings not many would have expected the match to go down the wire. It was some fantastic Indian bowling accompanied with electrifying fielding that helped India’s cause. The Women in Blue held on to their catches and fielded brilliantly to claim a couple of run outs as well. The English team got off to a flying start when they quickly moved on to 2-42 in 5.4 overs. Seeing the start, everybody had written off India’s chances of winning the game. But Mithali Raj and her girls didn’t lose hope till the very end. They made a strong back with the spin twins Ekta Bisht (4-21) and Harmanpreet Kaur (2-22) running through the middle order. There was tension mounting in the visitor’s dugout as the hosts reduced them to 8-87 in 17.5 overs. A rare dropped catch by Raj at covers off Veda Krishnamurthy’s bowling dashed India’s hopes of winning the match. Anya Shrubsole hit the winning runs to see her team winning the nail biting cracker by two wickets.

Heather Knight was declared as the Man of the Match for her match-winning bowling display. Since the hosts have won just one out of three games, they will hope that England beats West Indies on Thursday and India comprehensively defeats West Indies on Sunday, which will give them the outside chance of qualifying for the knock-outs.   

Brief Scores: India Women 90-8 in 20 overs (M Raj 20, H Kaur 26; H Knight 3-15, A Shrubsole 2-12) lost to England Women 92-8 in 19 overs (T Beaumont 20, N Sciver 19; E Bisht 4-21, H Kaur 2-22) by 2 wickets

source: www.cricketcountry.com

Pakistan women beat India by D/L method

It was a cracker of a contest at Feroz Shah Kotla on Saturday when the arch rivals India and Pakistan faced off against each other in the ICC Women’s World T20. Sana Mir, the Pakistani skipper won the toss and put the hosts to bat first. Was it the pitch or was it the India-Pakistan match pressure that swallowed the otherwise strong Indian batting line-up? India eves managed to post a humble 96-7 in 20 overs, thanks to some aggressive batting from Veda Krishnamurthy (24 runs off 19 balls). At one stage, they were found struggling at 7-2 in the first six overs. Singles were hard to come and the Indian batters, including the skipper Mithali Raj, could not find gaps. Though the visitors bowled well and fielded brilliantly, India women looked slightly off-colour.

Pakistan started off well and it seemed that it would be a cake walk for them. Sidra Ameen top scored with 26 runs in as many balls. After the initial onslaught by the Pakistan women, the Indian bowlers pulled up their socks and ran through the middle order with some fantastic bowling accompanied by terrific fielding. The catch at covers by Raj and the couple of run outs turned the game around with Pakistan wanting 20 runs off 24 balls. When the Indian dug out was breathing a sigh of relief, the play was interrupted by the unwelcomed rain. The ground was cleared and so were India’s hopes of winning the match. As per the par score (D/L method), Pakistan was marginally ahead by 2 runs. The play never resumed and the visitors were jumping with joy as they clinched this nail biting contest against their arch rivals.

India still leads the Group B table and will play its next match against England on Tuesday at Dharamsala.

Brief Scores: India Women 96-7 in 20 overs (V Krishnamurthy 24, M Raj 16, H Kaur 16; A Amin 1-9, A Iqbal 1-13) lost to Pakistan Women 77-6 in 16 overs (S Ameen 26, N Khan 14; H Kaur 1-9, J Goswami 1-14) by 2 runs as per the D/L method

    source:www.icc-cricket.com

India eves thrash Bangladesh in ICC T20 World Cup 2016 opener

The Women in Blue did not put a single foot wrong on Tuesday when they faced their eastern neighbours Bangladesh in the opening game of ICC World T20 2016. The visitors won the toss and elected to field first. Mithali Raj-lead India was more than happy to go out there and express themselves. Skipper Mithali (42) and opening bat Vellaswamy Vanitha (38) smacked the Bangladeshi bowlers all-round the park. They stitched a wonderful 62-run partnership in 46 balls. It was not yet over. Though India lost its star batswoman Smriti Mandhana (0) cheaply, Harmanpreet Kaur (40) and Veda Krishnamurthy (36*) ensured their team posted a challenging total on board. India finished off with its highest ever T20 score of 163-5 in 20 overs. The Indian batting was top class. Fahima Khatun and Rumana Ahmed were the pick of the bowlers with couple of wickets apiece.

Bangladesh’s approach never looked like they would chase down this mountain-like target. The hosts bowled well to restrict the visitors for a paltry 91-5, thus winning the match by a huge margin of 72 runs. Spin twins Anuja Patil and Poonam Yadav were brilliant with the ball as they grabbed up two wickets each. Wicket-keeper Nigar Sultana top scored with 27 runs, withy opening bat Sharmin Akhter chipping in 21 runs.

Harmanpreet Kaur was declared as the Man of the Match for her fantastic batting display. India plays its next match against arch rivals Pakistan on Saturday at Delhi.

Brief Scores: India Women 163-5 in 20 overs (M Raj 42, H Kaur 40, V Vanitha 38, V Krishnamurthy 36*; F Khatun 2-31, R Ahmed 2-35) beat Bangladesh Women 91-5 in 20 overs (N Sultana 27*, S Akhter 21, A Patil 2-16, P Yadav 2-17) by 72 runs

Source:www.espncricinfo.com

Smriti Mandhana does it again for Women in Blue to beat Sri Lanka in the warm-up game

Smriti Mandhana seems to be in sublime form as she scored another fantastic knock against Sri Lanka on Saturday in a warm-up match at Bengaluru. Batting first the island nation posted 125-4 in 20 overs, thanks to a well-constructed innings of wicketkeeper-batswoman Dilani Manodara. Manodara remained unbeaten on 43 off 35 cherries, smacking four boundaries and a six. Eshani Lokusuriyage played a cameo towards the end scoring 34 runs off 20 balls, finding the fence six times. For the hosts, it was Deepti Sharma who bowled well to grab 2-4 in two overs and received good support from Shikha Pandey and Poonam Yadav, who picked up one wicket each.

Southpaw Mandhana, who came in to bat at no.3 started from where she had left in the previous game against Ireland. The 19-year old seems to be enjoying her purple patch as she raced to score 42 runs off just 28 deliveries hitting five boundaries and a six. India openers Mithali Raj (23 runs off 33 balls) and Vellaswamy Vanitha (37 runs off 34 balls) provided a solid start to the run-chase. Harmanpreet Kaur also chipped in with a run a ball 12 run innings to finish off the game in style. Udeshika Prabodhani and Sugandika Kumari were the wicket-takers with one wicket apiece. The hosts chased down the target in 17.5 overs, winning the match by eight wickets.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka Women 125-4 in 20 overs (D Manodara43*, E Lokusuriyage 34*; D Sharma 2-4) lost to India Women 128-2 in 17.5 overs (S Mandhana 42*, V Vanitha 37, M Raj 23) by 8 wickets

Source: www.dnaindia.com

India eves kick start the T20 World Cup campaign on a high

Riding on southpaw Smriti Mandhana’s wonderful knock of 73 runs off just 52 balls, India eves posted a challenging 147-4 on board in their full quota of 20 overs against Ireland during a warm-up match on Thursday at Bengaluru. Mandhana’s bat has been talking since the last two months when she scored plenty of runs against Australia and Sri Lanka. She smacked 10 boundaries and a six in her blistering knock. Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Women in Blue led by Mithali Raj were solid with the bat and made the most of this warm-up game. Harmanpreet Kaur (24) and Veda Krishnamurthy (26) chipped in with some useful contributions in the middle order to see the hosts past 140-run mark. Kim Garth was the pick of the bowlers for Ireland as she finished off with miserly figures of 3-16 in four overs. Robyn Lewis was the other bowler who picked up a wicket.

Though Ireland started off as minnows, the ladies put up a good show against a relatively strong India team. Ireland could manage 118-9 in 20 overs, falling shy of 29 runs. Cath Dolton top scored with 37 runs off 30 balls and found able ally in skipper Isobel Joyce who punched 28 runs off 30 cherries. Twin pacers Shikha Pandey and Niranjana Nagarajan grabbed couple of wickets apiece.

Brief Scores: India Women 147-4 in 20 overs (S Mandhana 73*, V Krishnamurthy 26, H Kaur 24; K Garth 3-16) beat Ireland Women 118-9 in 20 overs (C Dalton 37, I Joyce 28; S Pandey 2-22, N Nagarajan 2-17) by 29 runs

Source:www.cricketcountry.com

Close look at the India eves playing the ICC Women’s World T20 2016

Mithali Raj (Captain)
India’s no.1 batter and skipper of the Indian team, a lot will depend on this woman. We have seen her open the innings in T20 match recently which means that India is certainly assured of a good solid start. With tons of experience, Raj would want to exploit this and take her team to the first ever World Cup victory.

Thirush Kamini
Thirush Kamini opens the innings for India and her team would want her to get off to a flyer. She is aggressive and fearless and can take on any bowler. Kamini is blessed with all possible cricketing shots and a treat to watch. This southpaw from Andhra Pradesh is just – years old and has a lot of cricket ahead of her. 

Veda Krishnamurthy
Veda is an attacking batswoman and an occasional leg break bowler. She is just 23 years old and an integral part of the Indian team. She is a middle order bat and is known to be a clean striker of the cricket ball.

Niranjana Nagarajan

Niranjana is one of India’s frontline bowlers, who bowls at a good pace without compromising her line and length. She is an asset for the Indian team as she contributes with both, bat and bowl. As a bowler you would expect her to come lower down the order to bat, but the India skipper has loads of confidence on this girl and often gives her the opportunity to bat at the middle order.

 Harmanpreet Kaur

One of the most attacking players in the Indian batting line-up is Harmanpreet Kaur. She idolizes Virender Sehwag and if you see her batting, you will see the reflection of it. Her heroics in Australia just a few days back saw India winning the match in a record chase of 140 runs. Kaur is handy with the ball as she bowls occasional off-spins. A complete package, Harmanpreet will play a pivotal role in India’s World Cup journey.

Smriti Mandhana
Playing her domestic cricket for Maharashtra, this south-paw is a treat to watch. She is a stylish batter and has a good understanding of the game. She is aggressive and can dominate the best of best bowling attacks. Through her glasses she reads the ball well and is a tough nut to crack. Age is just a number for 19-year old Mandhana who has played some matured knocks in the recent past.

Shikha Pandey
Shikha Pandey is one of the best all-rounders in the Indian team. She bats in the middle order and is a right arm medium pace bowler. Shikha is aggressive and a wicket taking bowler. This 26-year old is more than handy with the willow and has a safe pair of hands.

Poonam Yadav
Playing her domestic cricket for Uttar Pradesh, Poonam Yadav is one of the most promising cricketers in this Indian outfit. She bowls leg break and is not afraid to flight the ball.

                                                            

Vellaswamy Vanitha

Vanitha is a right handed bat, who is not afraid to play unorthodox cricketing shots. She can open the innings as well as bat in the middle order. Having someone like Vanitha is always good as she can accelerate the scoring rate at her will.

            Rajeshwari Gayakwad

Gayakwad is a slow left arm orthodox bowler and is a wicket-taking bowler for India. She is known to break partnerships and bowls a disciplined line and length.

1    Anuja Patil

Anuja Patil has made a dream start to her international career. She is a fantastic finisher, a brilliant bowler, who can open the bowling, just like Ravichandran Ashwin does it for the India men’s team. Though not a big turner of the ball, she gets the ball in right areas and is difficult to play at the start. Patil is an amazing athlete, who loves to throw herself on the ground.

1    Ekta Bisht

Ekta Bisht is a pocket sized dynamo. She bowls left arm orthodox and offers variety to the Indian bowling attack. She can the spin the ball well and is a good player to have in the side.

1    Deepti Sharma

Deepti Sharma is India’s one of most effective pace bowlers. She had a good outing against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded T20 series. India will hope that alongwith Goswami, Sharma also fires in the World T20.

                                                             

1    Jhulan Goswami

India’s no.1 bowler, Jhulan Goswami will have to lead from the front. She is the spearhead of India’s bowling attack and if she gets going there is nothing that can stop India from winning. Goswami is also known for her batting abilities as she can pack a punch or two and can take the game away from the opposition. Raj and Goswami have played a lot of cricket together and team India would be banking on their enormous experience.

                                                             

1    Sushma Verma (Wicket-Keeper)

Her glove-work is exceptional behind the stumps and Sushma Verma is more than decent with the willow. She will be instrumental in motivating the girls and constant chirping between the deliveries will set the team up.

Can the Women in Blue lift the 2016 T20 World Cup?

While surfing the net yesterday, I came across something which will bring a smile across faces of millions of women’s cricket fans. A few of our Indian women cricketers were rubbing shoulders with their male counterparts in the BCCI advertisement showcasing the new jerseys that the Indian players, both men and women will flaunt in the upcoming T20 World Cup. As the men’s team holds high chances of winning the World Cup, the women’s team has also created hopes post their emphatic wins against Australia in Australia and Sri Lanka at home.

The Women in Blue thrashed the mighty Aussies 2-1 in the three-match T20 series in January in their own backyard to surprise one and all. It was their maiden T20 series win against the three-time World Champions. Then we had Sri Lanka coming in February. India eves were too good to beat and remained invincible as they white washed their neighbours 3-0 in the three-match T20 series. Having won the T20 series against Australia and Sri Lanka, ahead of the T20 World Cup, is a big boost for India.

On paper, India has a good mix of players. They have tons of experience in Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, and a whole bunch of young girls raring to play the Big Tournament. With the hunger to clinch the first ever T20 World Cup, the India eves are all charged up to take on any opposition. As the men’s team was gifted with the IPL after their win in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, let’s hope that we have the Women’s IPL coming up next year.

India Women's squad: Mithali Raj (C), Thirush Kamini, Veda Krishnamurthy, Niranjana Nagarajan, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav, Vellaswamy Vanitha, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Anuja Patil, Ekta Bisht, Deepti Sharma, Jhulan Goswami, Sushma Verma (WK)

India play their first match against Bangladesh on 15th March at Bengaluru.

                                                                                                                      Source: www.twenty20wiki.com

Women in Blue win the T20 series 3-0 against Sri Lanka

It was a complete one-sided affair at Ranchi when India eves took on Sri Lanka in the third and the last T20 on Friday. Having pocketed the series already, the hosts went all guns blazing. As the World T20 is just a few days away, Mithali’s girls made the most of the series as they clinched the T20 series 3-0. Batting first, Sri Lanka could only manage 89-9 in 20 overs, with Eshani Lokusuriyage (25) and Chamari Athapaththu (21) being the top contributors with the willow. India’s spin twins Anuja Patil and Ekta Bisht were exceptional as they bowled a disciplined line and length all through their spells. Patil took two scalps giving away just 19 runs whereas Bisht picked up 3-17 in their four overs each.

Chasing 90 runs was an easy ask for the star strudded Indian batting line-up Vanitha VR (34) and Smriti Mandhana (43*) got off to a flyer with a crucial 64 run partnership in just 8.4 overs. The fall of vanitha didn’t make much of difference as Veda Krishnamurthy was good enough to take her team home with a patient knock of 13 runs off 16 balls.

India eves remained invincible to clinch the series 3-0. They would be hoping to take this form ahead of the World T20 that will be played in India in the next month.   

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka Women 89-9 in 20 overs (E Lokusuriyage 25, C Athapaththu 21; E Bisht 3-17, A Patil 2-19) lost to India Women 91-1 in 13.5 overs (Vanitha VR 34, S Mandhana 43*; C Athapaththu 1-19) by 9 wickets

Smriti Mandhana

Source:espncricinfo.com

India women seal the T20 series 2-0 against Sri Lanka

In what was supposed to be an easy run chase turned out to be a cracker of a contest between India and Sri Lanka on Wednesday in the second T20 that was played at Ranchi. Winning the toss and electing to bat first, the visitors put on board an innocuous 107-8 in 20 overs, with Dilani Manodara (27), Shashikala Siriwardena (26) and Chamari Athapaththu (22) being the major contributors. The Indian spin twins Ekta Bisht and Poonam Yadav ran through the Sri Lankan batting line-up as they picked up three wickets apiece.  

After winning their first game, the India eves were confident and had their tails up in this match. A flurry of wickets did them no good as they were stranded at 27-4 in 6.5 overs. Young Anuja Patil came in to bat when the chips were down. She did not sink into the pressure and handled the pressure-cooker situation extremely well. India captain Mithali Raj who had opened the batting was still hanging there. Patil and Raj stitched a strong partnership of 77 runs in 11 overs and set the team in a winning position. Mithali (51 not out off 52 balls) reached her half century and Anuja played a useful knock of 34 runs (33 balls). India chased down the target in 19 overs with five wickets in hand.

The last match of the series which is just of academic importance will be played on Friday at Ranchi. The hosts have taken an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three match T20 series.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka Women 107-8 in 20 overs (D Manodara 27, S Siriwardena 26; E Bisht 3-22, P Yadav 3-17) lost to India Women 108-5 in 19 overs (M Raj 51*, A Patil 34; I Ranaweera 3-10) by 5 wickets 

                                                                        Mithali Raj

               Source:espncricinfo.com

India women lead the T20 series 1-0 against Sri Lanka

India eves had an amazing outing at Ranchi when they took on Sri Lanka in the first of the three match T20 series. Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Mithali Raj-led team put up a defendable total of 130-6 in 20 overs, thanks to solid batting performances of southpaw Smriti Mandhana (35 runs off 27 balls) and India’s aggressive bat Harmanpreet Kaur (36 runs off 41 balls).  Both these players played their shots, stole singles and hit the odd-boundaries, thereby making it difficult for the visitors. A quick cameo from Anuja Patil (22 not out off 17 balls) towards the end of the innings was a cherry on the cake as she helped the hosts go past the 120-run mark. Sugandika Kumari was the pick of the bowlers as she finished off with 3-28 in her four overs.

Sri Lanka did not get off to the best of starts as the visitors were found wanting in their run chase. Both the openers were back in the dug-out inside three overs, courtesy Anuja Patil’s aggressive bowling right at the start. Dilani Manodara fought hard for her unbeaten knock of 41 runs which came in 44 balls, but could not find an able ally. Sri Lanka was restricted to 96-7 in 20 overs, thus falling short of 34 runs.

India leads the three-match series 1-0 and the second T20 will be played on Wednesday at Ranchi.

Brief Scores: India Women 130-6 in 20 overs (S Mandhana 35, H Kaur 36, A Patil 22*; S Kumari 3-28, E Lokusuriyage 2-19) beat Sri Lanka Women 96-7 in 20 overs (D Manodara 41*, S Siriwardena; A Patil3-14, D Sharma 2-23) by 34 runs

source:www.cricket.com.au

Women in Blue take an unassailable lead of 2-0 against Sri Lanka in the ODI series

Deepti Sharma had an amazing day at office as she finished off with the envious figures of 4-23 in her nine overs against Sri Lanka in the second ODI that was played on Wednesday at Ranchi. Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Sri Lanka could not make the most of it as they were reduced to a dismal 178-9 in 50 overs. DilaniManodara (43*) and PrasadaniWeerakkodi (37) were the only two batsmen who got off to good starts. India eves bowled well in tandem and were well-backed up by the fielders.

Chasing 179 was not going to be a daunting task. Southpaw SmritiMandhana who is enjoying her purple patch scored a run a ball 46 and provided a solid start to the hosts. She found an able ally in MD Thirushkamini who played well for her 26 runs. Having missed on a half century by a single run in the first ODI, skipper Mithali Raj compensated this time by striking a patient 53 off 80 balls, remaining unbeaten at the end of the innings. Harmanpreet Kaur played well for her 41 and stitched a strong partnership of 64 runs with the skipper. Sugandika Kumari was outstanding with the ball as she picked up 4-39 in 10 overs, sending back India’s top order to the hut.

Deepti Sharma was declared as the Man of the Match for her brilliant bowling performance. The hosts take on Sri Lanka for the last ODI, which is just of academic importance, on Friday at Ranchi.   

Brief scores: Sri Lanka Women 178-9 in 50 overs (P Weerakkodi 37, D Manodara 43*;D Sharma 4-23) lost to India Women 179-4 in 43.1 overs (S Mandhana 46, M Raj 53*, H Kaur 41; S Kumari 4-39) by 6 wickets

source:cricket.com.au

India eves thrash Sri Lanka in the first ODI

Riding on twin half centuries from the southpaw Smriti Mandhana (55) and middle order bat Harmanpreet Kaur (50), India put on board a defendable target of 245-6 in 50 overs against Sri Lanka in the first of three ODIs at Ranchi on Monday. A couple of cameos at the end from Jhulan Goswami (20 runs off 10 balls) and Shikha Pandey (21 runs off 14 balls) helped India cross the 200-run mark. Udeshika Prabodhani and Shashikala Siriwardena bowled well and were rewarded with two wickets apiece.

Chasing 246 runs against a relatively strong Indian bowling attack was going to be tough. Apart from the wicketkeeper-batswoman Prasadani Weerakkodi (69), none of the other Sri Lankan looked in shape. They were bundled out for a paltry 138 in 45.2 overs, losing the match by 107 runs. Poonam Yadav spun the web and grabbed 4-22 and was backed by Deepti Sharma (2-20) and Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2-31).

India and Sri Lanka play the second ODI on Wednesday at Ranchi.

Source:sports.ndtv.com

Mumbai girls thrash Gujarat to win the Women’s U-23 West Zone Championship

Mumbai girls had applied the top gear right from the start and were oozing with confidence when they faced Gujarat at Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana, Kandivli, in the last match of Inter-Zonal Women’s U-23 cricket tournament on Monday. Scoring 300 plus runs in a women’s domestic game is a rare commodity, however Mumbai, who won the toss and elected to bat first, played an all-together different cricket. They were aggressive, they were ruthless and they just tore apart the Gujarat bowling attack. The opening pair of Hemali Borwankar (116) and Jemimah Rodrigues (101) left everybody speechless, thanks to their wonderful batting performance. Both the openers scored magnificent centuries, which came in quick time as well. A few cameos towards the end and Mumbai saw itself crossing the formidable 300-run mark. The Gujarat bowlers looked listless as they had no answers for Mumbai’s blitzkrieg.

After being hammered brutally, Gujarat was low on confidence. Mumbai bowlers struck the iron when it was hot and rattled the Gujarat batting line up for a paltry 97, winning the match by a mammoth margin of 230 runs. Saima Thakore, who played her first game of the tournament, made the most of the opportunity as she picked up 4-15 in her 10 overs. Jemimah Rodrigues (3-19), Manashree Gavande (2-23) and Humaira Kazi (1-2) were the other bowlers among wickets.

Apart from their loss to Maharashtra on Saturday, Mumbai girls have looked in good touch. Having won three out of four matches, they emerged as the West Zone U-23 champions with 12 points. They have played well as a team and have certainly reaped the sweet fruits of their hard work.

Brief scores: Mumbai 327-4 in 50 overs (H Borwankar 116, J Rodrigues 101, M Joshi 45; A Patel 2-55) beat Gujarat 97 in 41.2 overs (R Chaudhari 20, H Patel 17; S Thakore 4-15, J Rodrigues 3-19, M Gavande 2-23) by 230 runs